Life or Something Like It
by Mystic Padfoot2008
Summary: The war is over. Now Harry and his friends must learn what life is before they fall into their own pits of despair. Begins directly after the seventh novel, but before the 19 year epilogue.


**Life or Something Like It**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. J. K. Rowling does and she's brilliant. I bow to her intelligence and imagination.**

**Chapter 1**

It had been a day since the battle. The bodies had been lined up and recognized by the next of kin. The funerals were beginning over the next couple of days. Everything was going on as normally as possible, yet there was a nagging feeling within Harry Potter that made him sick to his stomach. What had needed to be done was done. He had died for the world and had come back to be the boy who lived twice. He was with his Ginny again. Ron and Hermione had finally figured out their feelings for one another and had been inseparable ever since the battle. It all seemed normal and yet he couldn't help but feel that he wasn't normal.

He sat in the backyard of the Burrow just staring at the small lake before him that he, Hermione, Ron, Ginny, Fred, and George had used to play in whenever he was over visiting during the summer. He could still hear their laughter floating lazily along with the breeze. He could still feel the happiness from those days welling up within his chest. Then as his mind reminded him who was gone forever it would be immediately squashed with the devestating weight of grief. What he had known, what he had always thought he would know had all disappeared. The love, the warmth, the laughter. . . it had disappeared within the course of a day. How could they have lost so much? How could there be so much pain and yet no one seemed to be effected.

_Well_, he thought, _not everyone._ He had came down the stairs and found Mrs. Weasley holding a picture of Fred and sobbing in the kitchen. She had instantly stopped when she noticed he had come into the room. She had sniffed and wiped away the tears. Then asked him if she could get him anything. It was the question that had caused him the most pain. How could she worry about him when she was suffering so over the loss of her son? He had said no and then asked if he could get her anything and she had responded that he didn't need to get her anything because she was to take care of him. How she could solider on like this was mind boggling to him.

They had all loss too much. As Harry began to think of all he had lost it made him feel worse and worse. In his entire lifetime he had lost two parents he had never been able to be around, a surrogate brother that meant more to him than he had ever admitted to anyone let alone himself, his first pet and best friend - Hedwig, the nearest thing to a father - Sirius, his mentor and friend - Dumbledore, a man he had never understood until after his deat - Snape, the greatest professor and surrogate uncle - Lupin, and his surrogate uncle's wife - Tonks. How could anyone lose so much and go on?

What could he do now? What was he to do with his life? He had spent the last seventeen years fighting Voldemort. He had spent his life dwelling on that. Now all he could dwell on was his grief, his loss. Which he was trying very hard not to do. He didn't think it was fair of him to mope around when so many others were going through the same thing. Like the Weasleys. The funeral was in a couple of days and Mrs. Weasley had planned everything out. There was nothing left to plan. The only thing to do was to wait for the day of the funeral.

So, he had decided to come outside to the place that they had spent so many carefree moments and attempt to let go his grief. He was hoping that when he was done he could be a better adoptive son, boyfriend, and friend to all those that needed him. He knew that he had to be strong. Especially for his Ginny. She needed him more than anything right now and as their relationship picked up where they had left off he wanted to be there for her as much as she needed. He only knew that he couldn't if he was dwelling within his own grief.

As he sat there in the lush, soft grass beside the lake, he lost himself in thought. He became so lost in fact that he didn't hear his sweetheart's footsteps. All of a sudden two slender arms wrapped around his neck and soft lips pressed against his neck.

"Whatcha doing out here, Harry?" Ginny asked softly in his ear. Harry turned to look at her, seeing her hazel eyes so clearly.

"I was just thinking. How are you doing?" He asked her, turning so he could pull her into his lap. She wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her head upon his shoulder.

"I'm doing okay, but I get the feeling that you aren't. Do you want to talk about it?" She asked him softly. He sat there for a moment, marveling over the fact that she somehow knew when something was wrong. He wondered if that was just a woman thing, or if it was because she was just that attuned to him.

"I'm okay. I just. . . I came out here to think so that way I am fully here for you," Harry replied softly. Her face softened even more and she placed a gentle kiss upon his lips. She rested a hand upon his face and gazed lovingly into his eyes.

"Oh Harry. You don't have to get okay in order to be here for me. We can help each other get through this. We can pick up the pieces together and find out what happens from here together. You don't have to do it alone," Ginny said.

"Do you know that I love you, Ginny?" Harry asked her. She nodded and smiled. He sighed lightly to see the sparkle within her eyes. _How did I get so lucky to have her back in my life?_ Harry wondered to himself.

"I love you too, Harry Potter. More than you could ever know," she whispered before kissing him. The kiss caused his heart to flutter wildly within his chest. All pain of grief was instantly gone and in its place was an elated feeling of hope, love, and wonderment.


End file.
